Rent: EC: Seasons of Seduction III

Ellora's Cave binds six hot little romances in a variety of genres together in one anthology that will keep you up way past your bedtime!

~The Pirate and the Pussycat By Lacey Alexander~

Last year, Leah was sure she'd met Mr. Right at her friend's Halloween party. But he never called. This year? She's just looking for Mr. Right Now. With that goal in mind, she dresses for maximum impact in the sexiest pussycat getup she can come up with. It isn't long before this kitty cat is claimed by her very own pirate and they swiftly lose themselves in each other without ever leaving the party. Before the night is over, Leah realizes her plan has gone horribly awry and she has lost her heart to Mr. Right Now...

Fans of Lacey Alexander's will more than appreciate her sexy little Halloween story! Having come to expect romances full of some very steamy scenes, her readers will not be disappointed to find the characters in The Pirate and the Pussycat indulge in the sort of adventurous sex that we have come to know and love in Alexander's tales. Their Halloween costumes lend themselves naturally to a little role-playing and the party environment sets the stage perfectly for a little public sex...

In spite of the costumes which disguise them from each other, Leah and her Pirate connect immediately, and the chemistry is undeniable. Leah's worries concerning her unexpected feelings for the mysterious Pirate are understandable, but a delicious little twist to the ending wraps up a very nice Happy ever After for our couple!

~Panther's Pleasure By Cathryn Fox~

As the spaceship she has long called home nears the planet Lannar, Sash begins to feel things she has never before felt. Once she is planet-side, things really ramp up when she comes into close proximity with a dangerous looking male to whom she feels no small attraction. Little does she suspect that in Kade, she'll not only find her mate, but the long-hidden truth of her own heritage...

I am used to sweet and sexy contemporary romances from author Cathryn Fox, but with Panther's Pleasure, she flexes her writing muscles to pen a fantastic little romance in the Science Fiction sub-genre! If I had not already been a huge fan of this author previously, I would be after reading this story.

In spite of the story's brevity, Fox manages to deliver some intriguing twists in Panther's Pleasure while still finding time to indulge readers with some very hot love scenes between Kade and Sash. Take it from me, this story is one that you will not want to miss!

~On Her Back By Renee Luke~

Grief and pain have a way of bringing people together, especially when each has long harbored a secret love for the other. Recovering from serious wounds, Elijah Russell returns home from the war to mourn the death of his best friend. The only person he loves who is still alive is that friend's younger sister, Simone - the same woman he fantasized about while recovering in the hospital.

Little does Elijah know, Simone shares his fantasies about being together, and she is determined to make those fantasies a reality.

Renee Luke broke my heart with On Her Back. The pain and loneliness Elijah and Simone have suffered are palpable. Having lost everyone they love but each other, it makes sense that they turn to each other for comfort. Of course, that triggers the passions that each of them has held back for years, allowing their love to surface and begin to heal both of them. It is at this point that which the author began to put the readers' hearts back together as well.

Be prepared, this story will require a box of Kleen-ex for certain. But Ms. Luke delivers a happy ending that leaves both her couple and her fans with hope in their souls for a brighter future for this pair.

~I Was an Alien's Love Slave By Charlene Teglia~

Micki Sloane is a romance novelist with a big problem. How can she write a creditable hero when she no longer believes such an animal exists? And you can't exactly have a romance novel without a hero.

Of course, when she finds herself abducted by a hunky alien who promptly informs her that she is now his love slave and they are traveling to his home world, she obviously has a much bigger problem. Never mind that Keelan Os'tana could be the stuff heroes are made of. The fact that he has abducted her negates all that... Doesn't it?

Never has Charlene Teglia's fantastic wit been more evident than in her alien series! This talented author always manages to keep her stories simultaneously funny and sexy - a fact which this reviewer very much appreciates.

The premise of Teglia's offering to this anthology easily lends itself to humor. What could be funnier than your typically clueless male from an alien race with a culture completely foreign to humans being mated to an independent modern woman from Earth? Oblivious to the fact that Micki might have a will of her own, he expects her to intuitively understand her place in this strange new society and perform happily as his personal love slave.

Micki, of course, proceeds to show him just how wrong he can be - a girl after my own heart. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on perspective) for Micki, her body and heart reject what her mind tells her is wrong, something which Keelan's telepathy makes it impossible for her to hide from him. Again in typical male fashion (and to the readers' delight), he does not hesitate to take advantage of this knowledge.

As with all good romances, this entertaining couple finds a compromise that each can abide, affording them a happily ever after guaranteed to satisfy readers!

~Sunshine for a Vampire By N.J. Walters~

Sunshine has never fit in with the vampire society she was born into, despite her family's elevated status. She has the wrong coloring, the wrong interests, and most certainly the wrong personality. And who ever heard of a vampire named `Sunshine'?

Silvestru hasn't, that's for sure. He doesn't know who the ethereal beauty is when he spies her in the garden at a party, but he is determined she will be his before the night is over...

Oh, wow! N.J. Walters really turns up the heat in her entry for this anthology, Sunshine for a Vampire! From page one I was spellbound, and connected as easily with the main characters as they did with each other. In spite of their being vampires, both Sunshine and Silvestru felt real to me, with personalities that were extremely likable. I was rooting for them from the start, and in spite of my foreknowledge that they would most certainly end up together, my heart burst with happiness when that very thing happened at the end.

I would love to see more books from Ms. Walters connected to this one. Perhaps a romance for Sunshine's brother?

~A Man of Vision By Kate Willoughby~

Famous sculptor Cristoforo requires a new mistress and is more than willing to agree to the terms set forth by the enchanting Delphine. The artist works himself into a sexual frenzy when he sculpts, requiring him to have a willing woman available to him whenever need strikes.

Delphine has always given her lovers exactly what they need while being able to remain emotionally distant - until Cristoforo. Afraid to trust anyone with her heart, she is reluctant to submit to him fully - until it may be too late.

Kate Willoughby is the only author in this anthology who was new to me, and I more than loved her story! A Man of Vision is a contemporary romance that somehow manages the feel of a historical romance. Perhaps it is the Old World setting that accomplishes this nostalgic feel.

Although this romance begins with two people used to remaining detached from everyone around them, Delphine and Cristoforo find a connection early on. Even while they try to ignore it themselves, it is more than obvious to the reader.

It doesn't take long for them establish a more personal connection, at which point Cristoforo's secrets begin to unravel, threatening everything they could have together.

THE PIRATE AND THE PUSSYCAT by Lacey Alexander
Leah hasn't had the best of luck with men at Tracy's Halloween parties and subsequently she really isn't looking forward to this year's bash. Tracy's suggestion: dress ultra sexy and find a hot guy for a night of `no-strings-attached sex.' Leah's never been good at casual sex but she decides to go along with her friend's idea and dresses as a very naughty pussycat (sans panties) and goes on the prowl for a man dressed in a sexy costume - after all if you're going to do kinky you have to go all the way... nothing short of a hot guy in a hot costume will do. As luck would have it, there's a pirate who's more than willing to play.

Leah's costume induced boldness really won me over with this tale. There's something so `safe' about anonymity that I really couldn't wait to find out how this story would turn out.


PANTHER'S PLEASURE by Cathryn Fox
Sash has always been the picture of health. In all her twenty five years not once has she been sick, but the closer the starship Anthon comes to the planet Lannar the worse she feels. Something's definitely not right but how can she know that this planet and the intriguing man she meets will play such a pivotal role in finally giving her a place to feel like she belongs. Never mind that Kade is a shape-shifting panther, and unbeknownst to Sash; she is too. He's a leader amongst his kind and Sash is used to being in control at all times - will she be able to find pleasure in submitting to her mate?

I loved this story! There's something so primitive and innocent in the characters and situations in this story that it just captivated me.


ON HER BACK by Renee Luke
Simone Harris has had more than her fair share of heartaches - first the death of her beloved brother, and then the loss of Mami (Elijah's grandmother) due to cancer. Both deaths were devastating losses but Elijah is returning home from the war, injured but alive, and she's determined to put her own pain aside and offer him her support. It isn't easy to put your own needs aside but what she doesn't realize is that Elijah needs her just as much as she needs him. He attributes his survival during his time deployed to all the lurid fantasies he's had about her. They both need to heal from the pain of their losses but sometimes sexual healing is so much more effective than simply talking.

Renee Luke gives readers warm fuzzy feelings with ON HER BACK. Elijah and Simone are still reeling from their losses but they find a source of comfort in each other - and so much more.


I WAS AN ALIEN'S LOVE SLAVE by Charlene Teglia
Micki is convinced that the shocking lack of heroes is the reason she can't write the book that she's contracted to write. She's lacking inspiration! On the verge of panicking she decides to wish upon a star. Of course, when it comes down to it she's still going to have to find it within herself to write the book right? Well, maybe after a good night's sleep courtesy of some more cold medicine - never mind that she'd just been at a bar having a drink - a sexy muse will appear to inspire her. She gets her hero but not in the way she expects... Micki is abducted by aliens and the one called Keelan insists that she called him to her and more importantly, she's his bondmate.

Who hasn't heard stories about alien abductions? Charlene Teglia's story will have you giggling your way through each page and longing for an alien abduction of your own.


SUNSHINE FOR A VAMPIRE by N.J. Walters
Sunshine DeMarco isn't your typical vampire. She's short, blonde haired and blue eyed, unheard of traits for a vampire. She lives a quiet lifestyle - avoiding the excesses which so many of her peers overindulge. Family obligations dictate that she attend a party being given in honor of a visiting European Council dignitary. It's the last place she wants to be but a tall, sexy vampire entices her to share a dance and then much, much more. Will Sunshine regret her passionate encounter with a stranger?

I have to confess to always assuming vampires would be tall, dark and mysterious so I developed a special fondness for Sunshine and her gentle nature.

A MAN OF VISION by Kate Willoughby
Cristoforo isn't looking for romance. He simply wants a woman to be accessible for him to satisfy his lusts with between bouts of manic marble sculpting. Hiring a mistress to be at his beck and call 24/7 seems like the perfect solution. Neither of them anticipates the strong attachment that forms between them. Cristoforo's obsessive drive to complete his statue raises all sorts of questions for Delphine, but will she discover the real reason for his behavior in time to help him come to grips with his situation... or protect herself from her ever growing feelings for the man?

This is Kate Willoughby's first published work with Ellora's Cave and I must say I was very impressed with this storyline and captivated by the characters.


Just when you think the Cavemen anthologies can't get any hotter or more captivating Ellora's Cave puts out a new addition to this series that rivals its predecessors. As always you get some stories by favorite authors as well as some by authors you may not have read before in a wide variety of genres so there's no shortage of fast paced storylines to entice you. This is an anthology you'll want to read and add to your keeper shelf.

Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)